Emergency!: Behind the Scene

by Richard Yokley, Rozane Sutherland

This book captures the essence of an important chapter in television history: the origins of the Emergency!, a dramatic series significant beyond entertainment. When the world premiere of Emergency! was first broadcast in 1972, there were only 12 paramedic units in all of North America. Ten years later, more than half of all Americans were within ten minutes of a paramedic rescue or ambulance unit. That simply would not have happened without the influence of Emergency! Emergency! followed the daily lives of a pair of Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighters/paramedics, along with their colleagues at Station 51 and the emergency room staff of Rampert General Hospital. This program introduced audiences from all over the world to the concept of pre-hospital care, along with fire prevention and CPR.

402 pages, Paperback

First published July 13, 2007

Reviews

[Barbara Maxwell-Dubrinsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The authors tried to write a comprehensive overview of the television show Emergency! For the most part it is complete but contains many factual errors and omits people who were instrumental in making the program. It is worth reading but my hope is that a revised version is in the works to correct the myriad of mistakes. For instance Hannah Shearer, a writer and producer was totally omitted. Other questions were not addressed such as why actors Jamie Farr and Eric Shea appeared in their respective episodes but were credited in other, unrelated episodes, was not answered. It almost seems like the book was thrown together quickly with no fact checking.

[Julie Doel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emergency! was one of my favorite tv shows as a kid. This book includes an extensive list of episodes with guest stars and plot summaries from all the seasons plus the movies. It describes how influential the show was on expanding paramedic teams across the country beginning in the 1970s.

One nitpick: in the profiles of the main actors, most get multiple paragraphs, but Bobby Troup, who played one of Rampart’s doctors gets just four lines.

I love the fact that Mike Stoker, a real engineer, was hired to drive the fire engine for the show, but my favorite will always be Randolph Mantooth as Johnny Gage.

[Tony Genualdi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite show growing up and I was glad to see how much detail the authors could get into this. I did get to see Squad 51 and Engine 51 when I was 7 or 8 when we took the Universal Studios tour, and Squad 51 here in Phoenix at the Hall of Flame in 2003. The authors erred when they said the Hall of Flame is in Scottsdale.
Overall this is a terrific resource for fans of this groundbreaking show.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't feel like I talk about just how much I love Emergency! So, as soon as I found about this book, I checked it out from the library asap. This was so much fun and I got a kick out of all of the little details. I feel like it's time to do some rewatching!

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth the time to read it. It explains why Emergency! was a popular show and how it helped to promote paramedics, EMTs, etc.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given my love of this show, having a more-or-less authoritative history and episode reference seems a good idea for a christmas gift. Thanks Kelly!

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a reference book than a narrative story, but still interesting.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book including the 6 seasons they made and the movies. I try to watch them every day and I try to read my book as well!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love reading this book along with watching the television show! Very good!